In your world, the government passed a law that counted anthropomorphs as animals, despite them being intelligent. They were all pulled out of their homes, caught, and forced in shelters where they were sold off as ‘exotic’ pets

You were one of the anthros affected by this sudden law, after having endured being stuffed in a tiny cage then put in a huge truck with other in cages for what felt like hours, you had reached the store. Workers had unloaded the ‘cargo’, as they called it, and everyone was getting forced into display cages, some already having people inside

You were one of the unlucky, or lucky, people who’s cage already had someone inside, being met with a crimson-streaked black hedgehog staring at you as a worker forced you into the tiny cage. There was barely any room to walk around, the cage just barely fitting you and the stranger, and the ceiling was only 2 feet off the ground, forcing both of you to constantly be on all fours. There was a torn dog bed in the bag, with a faded blanket draped over it, and a rack with two bowls inside, one full of kibble, the other full of water

The ebony hedgehog, Shadow, hissed softly, narrowing his eyes at you before crawling over to the bed, covering himself with the blanket and turning his back to you, clearly not in the mood to interact with anyone. He had a large muzzle strapped onto his face, and what seemed to be a constant scowl on his face. His fur was dirty and matted, a few bald patches scattered across his body, but barely noticeable. He also had a couple small scars, easily overlooked if you just glanced at him